Today is not the actual day of Levi’s birth but it is the first opportunity we’ve had to get together to belatedly deliver his birthday and Valentine’s Day goodies. This year, Levi celebrated his birthday in Orange Beach, AL which is pretty darn awesome. He enjoyed a huge pancake breakfast, visited the historic Fort Morgan which was utilized during both the Spanish American War and the Civil War where he explored the earthen embankments, canons and finished off his big day with a custom baked Minecraft cake. Levi is the dude!
It also happened to be the same weekend as Superbowl LII. So with a gorgeous beach view and a tailgate spread, the boys got to stretch out on the sofas and watch the New England Patriots tangle with the Philadelphia Eagles. What a fantastic and memorable weekend.
Fast forward to today, we were expected for breakfast so we were up with the birds so I could cut up a fruit salad to bring along. It was a crisp and light salad perfect for a wintry morning composed of tart Granny Smith’s and mellowy sweet Red Delicious apples, plump white grapes, blueberries, a fragrant navel orange with a hint of zest, kiwi and chunks of juicy pineapple. We loaded the car with Levi’s gifts, a box of essential oils I didn’t use any more that I knew Jill and Janice would enjoy, “Cooking Light” and “Harper’s Bazaar” magazines and homemade oatmeal cookies I baked yesterday.
We arrived at the Farm around 10am and everyone was hanging out in the cabin, a gorgeous fire crackled in the fireplace, the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea was on the TV and Dad was puttering in the kitchen. Sausage patty’s were patted and awaiting to be fried and French toast made from Dad’s homemade French bread was ready to be put on the griddle. It was all so ridiculously delicious..
After breakfast, Dad and Janice gave us our Christmas happy’s from Orange Beach and then we presented Levi with his gifts. We let him open his Valentine gift pretty much as soon as we arrived, a bag of candy gummy worms with a note that read, “Valentine…You Make My Heart Worm and Fuzzy” which he managed to consume before we left. Levi loved his two Star Wars holographic place mats, the dinosaur taco holder with two El Paso taco kits, two cans of silly string, glow sticks and the miniature hand-held arcade game, Centipede. One of my favorite arcade games from back in the day.
As the afternoon progressed, we continued to visit around the kitchen table talking and visiting. As Jill was making a peanut butter sandwich for Levi, Dad was pulling out homemade biscuits he had made for Bill’s breakfast for next week. Fortunately for me, he made extra and offered one right out of the oven slathered with melted butter which I excitedly downed with an ice cold Coca-Cola. Oh my goodness. The recipe that Dad adapted was Chris’ which he learned from his grandmother Katherine Burgett.
By 2pm it was time for Levi to start studying for a social studies test the next day and for us to get back to Jasper. Another great day at the Farm!
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